Stewart to teammate Danica Patrick: Challenge Petty

Tony Stewart knows a thing or two about rivalries, and he's trying to stoke one between his teammate Danica Patrick and racing legend Richard Petty.

In the event Patrick were to win a race on NASCAR's highest level, Stewart suggested she “take the [checkered flag] over there and cram it up his ass.” Stewart's comment was to the Performance Racing Network in front of a live audience ahead of this weekend's Daytona 500.

That wasn't the only suggestion he proffered in the wake of Petty's recent criticism of Patrick – specifically, that she'd only win a Sprint Cup race if “everybody else stayed home.”

In light of those comments, Stewart told Patrick to challenge the seven-time NASCAR champion to a race.

“I think that [a race] would pretty much settle it once and for all, maybe get him to shut up a little bit, too,” Stewart said. “I will supply the cars, if he wants to race her, I'll make sure they have exactly the same setup in the car and give him the chance. He can drive one of my 14 cars, I don't care.”

Stewart said that Petty doesn't understand how difficult it is to win a race in the current circuit given that everyone's equipment is far superior than what it was while Petty was racking up a NASCAR-record 200 wins.

Petty also claimed that “If she'd have been a male, nobody would ever know if she'd showed up at the racetrack. … This is a female deal that's driving her. There's nothing wrong with that because that's good PR for me.”

Patrick, as she tends to do, took the remarks in stride.

“As I said the last time somebody said something that was no so positive to me, it spawns so many positive articles. I love the conversation that it creates in sport, and across the board it makes sports interesting.”